Combination brush and snow mover



1959 E. GANTZ 2,

COMBINATION BRUSH AND snow MOVER Filed July 5, 1957 INVENTOR Unite COMBINATION BRUSH AND SNOW MOVER Application July 5, 1957, Serial No. 670,177 6 Claims. (Cl. 15111) This invention relates generally to area cleaning implements and more particularly to an all-weather combination brush and snow mover.

The ordinary cleaning of an area such as a sidewalk or a driveway is generally accomplished by means of a brush or a broom. After a very light snowfall, the soft snow can often be swept away with a brush or a stiff broom. Areas in which the snow has become caked or hardpacked by pedestrian or vehicular tracks, or by changes in temperature, however, cannot easily be cleared by the ordinary brush or broom. Similarly, an area that has been blanketed by at least a moderate snowfall, cannot be easily cleared by a simple brush or broom.

An important object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an all-weather implement which can be used for sweeping an area under normal weather conditions and for clearing an area after a snowfall.

Another object of this invention is to provide a snow mover for clearing an area of packed snow in combination with a brush for sweeping up any residual snow.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brush for sweeping soft snow from an area in combination with a snow-mover or scraper for removing clumps of hardpacked or caked snow.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a combination brush and snow-remover device of the character described provided with bristles for sweeping snow and also provided with means to prevent the swept snow from riding up over the brush back for curling the swept snow forwardly to make a pile, for protecting the brush bristles and for helping push the pile of snow forwardly.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a combination brush and snow-mover device of the character described which may be reversed from sweeping position to a position for scraping snow and having means, when used as a scraper, for scraping snow, for curling back the scraped snow, for preventing the scraped snow from riding up over the back of the brush, for pushing a pile of scraped snow forwardly, and for protecting the brush bristles as the snow is being scraped and as the pile of scraped snow is being pushed forwardly.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable device of the character de-' scribed, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent upon further reading of the specification.

Accordingly, to accomplish these objects, there is herein provided an all-weather combination brush and snowmover having a brush back as a base, tufts of bristles set into the lower face of the base near its rearward edge to form a brush, an elongated handle angularly set into the upper face of the back for convenient manipulation of the implement, a snow-mover and scraper blade mounted along the forward edge of the base and extending downward and outwardly therefrom, and a plate attached to the snow-mover blade and curving rearwardly and down- States Patent ice wardly therefrom so that its rearward edge contacts the foremost bristle along a line lower than the edge of the snow-mover and scraper blade thereby to effect cooperative interaction between the snow-mover and the brush.

In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention reference will be made to the drawing consisting of four figures in which the same or similar reference numbers refer to the same or similar parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the preferred embodiment of the invention with part of the handle broken away, in position to perform a sweeping and snow pushing operation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the preferred embodiment of the invention in position to perform a snow-plowing or scraping operation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line 44-4 of Fig. 3.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail by reference to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The brush-back base 10 of the combination brush and snow-mover 12 is rectangular in shape for simplicity in construction, and preferably made of wood for strength and economy, although it may be made of any other suitable substance, such as one of the plastics. A handle 20 is removably set into the base within the hole 21 at an angle of substantially for convenience inthe manipulation of the implement. Tufts of bristles 22, such as nylon or like bristles suitable for its toughness, durability and relative imperviousness to water, are set into the lower face of the base in longitudinal array to form a brush near the rearward edge 24 of the base. The bristles may, in the alternative, be made of wire, or any other suitable material.

The leading edge 25 of the base is bevelled longitudinally along the lower face of the base to form the inclined surface 26. Thesnow-mover and scraper plate 28, which is preferably of metal, is bent longitudinally along three lines 30, 32, 34 to form four longitudinal panels 36, 38,v

40 and 42. In vertical cross-section the snow-mover plate 28 has the appearance of a spread-out W. Panel 36 of the snow-mover plate lies longitudinally along the leading edge of the upper surface 44 of the base and is fixed to the base by two rivets 46. Panel 38 of the snow mover plate lies close, though not contiguous, to the vertical leading edge 48 of the base. A small amount of space 50 is left available for slight play. Panels 40 and 42 of the snow-mover plate extend downwardly and outwardly from the base as shown in Fig. 1. Panel 42 serves as a snow-mover and scraper blade.

The guide plate 52, perferably of metal, is bent longitudinally along a single line 54, forming two panels 56 and.

58. In cross-section, the guide plate 52 has the appear-. ance of a spread-out L with the longer section curving inward and downward as shown in Fig. 1. Panel 56 of the guide plate lies along and is spot welded to panel 40 of the snow plow plate at several junctures 60. Panel 58 curves backward and downward from the snow mover plate so that its rearward edge 61 contacts the foremost row of bristles along a line which is lower than the forward edge of the scraper blade.

Rubber washers 62 are interposed as shock absorbers at two places between panel 58 of the guideplate and the bevelled surface 26, to provide a small amount of resilience. The shafts 63 of rivets 46 which hold the snow plow plate to the base extend through the rubber washers and through the guide plate. A small washer 66 is placed over each rivet shaft and next to and on the underside of the guide plate. Peening the rivets over the washers at the juncture 68 fixes the guide plate and the snow plow plate to the base. i

In actual use the implement is held in .the .position shown in Fig. 2 with the panel 42 acting as the snow mover and scraper blade. As the implement is pushed forward, snow is p'i'cked up by (the i-zscraper :blad'e and guided away from the operating e'd'ge 7 of the scraper blade'by panels56"?a nd 58 of the 'g-uidez'plate. The-curved panel 58 of l the "guide -pl-are serves to prevent snow "from clogging the {brush and protects theupper: portions of the bristles. It "'a'lsoserv'es as' abase to push snow forward.

'Sinc'e the-"handleis set into? the base at an angle,'=a simple axial rotation-M me handle ofsubstantially 180 places the implement 'in the -p os ition: shown in i Fig. 1 for sweeping-purposes. T-he curvedipan'el 58 of-tlie 'guide plate here 'ser'v es am base to push suow or debris =f0rward.

The -g'uide plate accomplishes i the coop erative '--i nteracti'on betweenthe brush andthe 'snow mover in 'this fashion: V 1

1) When the implement isheId andoperated as shown in- Fig. 1 snow" is piled upby t-he 'bristlespcurle'd forward and upward by the guide plate and piled'up forward by thescraper blade. I

(2) When the implement is held and 'operated as shown in; Fig. 2, snow is picked up by the snow mover,-'curled forward and mpwand by the forwardby thebri'stles. ilt will now be understood that *when -the dev-iee" embodying the -invention is used inthe manner"disclosed-"in Fig.4, the-bristles 22 brush or sweep the snow. T-he brushed snowwill 'curl :up against the under surfac'e of the' p'late SZ and will bebroken up "by the plate 28.. The plate '28, furthermore, prevents the piled -up snswfrom moving up over the top er the -back '10 of 'the combination device. Furthermore when sweeping snow and al pile of; snow accumulates, the pile may be pushed forward y and the 1'Iplate i52 serves -1 to: aid in 'pushing the pile forguide plate, =and pil'e'd 3 up thefrontedgeof said .brush back, and aplate disposed below said inclined surfaceand being curved rearwardly 'tacting theiiupper-zsurface [of said brush :;-b.ack,:said member having a front web portion extending downwardly from said top flange, and'as'c'raper'portion Inclined downwardly and forwardly from said web, and a plate fixed to said scraper portion and having a downwardly and j rearwa'rdiy :curved :porfii'ondisp osedjbelow" ,said; inclined surfaces-and aterminating inrap lower edge located (above the lower ends 0f'SE1ld'ib1lSt1eS,t-a-l1d =rneans tozrivetrsaid memberitozsaid'zbr'us-h back.. A

-13. iThe: combinationmof .-cl-aim :f r2 'il1'r combination with resilient. shock. absorbing I m'ea-nsinterposed between said wardly and-to protect the bristIes ZZ again-St bending-back 7 Or breaking.

whenlthe device is reversed and used in position shown in Figulithe' snow can be scraped. However; the scraped snow will :move up :against the-plate 52, ancl -curl forwardly and: break -up. The :plate 52: protects: thebr-istles 22 Iand thezzpo'rtionsfiof71he f bristles which extend forwardly 'tol prevent ithe: snow frommoving u-p around and overthe' topaoflthebrush. When :llSing th device as shown/in: Riga-2, furthermore; the plate 52=serves as an abutment for: pushing the snow forwardly.

it-will. thus'l befseen that there: is here provided animprovementi iniharea:cleaning devices in which the several Objects '0f ithis "inventionare achieved and which is well adapted torimeetithe'conditions er practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made "of the abovednvention;Zandias':various changesmight 'beunade in the embodim'ent-above' set forth, it is tobe understood t at all matterherein' setf forth or shown in the saccompanyingdrawings is -.to1 be interpreted as illustrative and notin allimiting sense.

What is claimed: is:

=1. .-Jn:. combination; a-J'brush' back having an upper surfflcet'andtat-zfront edgep and ani'incIined under-surfaceie'xtending downwardlysand rearwardly from the front edge, andrattflatcundersurface exteuding from said inclinedsurfacei-and disposed parallel-tosaid upper surface, bristles extending downwardly'fromsaid parallel undersurface, and a member attached to' the front' of said brush' back andiihaving a' topfrfian'ge contacting "the upper surfa'cemf i the'r brush -back,' saidf member lravinga-portion located at mem'beriahd said brushiback.

i Accombinationzbrush; and material mover comprisingian relonga-ted ctop-wbrush iabjack, member, a hand-1e attached' thereto and' a'inclined upwardly wand rear-vyard ly therefrom, :a' longitudinal l"gI'Olg1p-,"Of flexible-.:br-ush elementssrextefiding 'sidOWl'lWfildlY nfrom the undersidei of; the rear portion; only :of; said back member leaving a sub stan'tialpOrtiOn Of";th63 front ,part, of the underside; ofwthe brush-back member:withoutebrusheelements; alongitudi, nal: stifi mernber fixed to the brush aback, member :and located at the underside tofesaidback member in front of: said: glidtlprOfrlCfl'lQfitS :and' extending down fromjthe brush" backumemberi andFcOntac-ting the: front sicle3ofi said group ,ofaelemenltsx a: substantial distance above;the;;lower ends ;5there0f,;leaving the lower -ends free 1 for L brushing, fitldsSflldibfllSh elements being free ;:to. fl'ex rearwardly when brushing, said:stiifzmember'extending fromnthe front of the brush back member and being,inclined-rearwardly andidownwardlynand beingof zt'ransvenser-concavely, curved shape.

v:5. The: combination-v of claim 4,3 ,in -combi nation with a-scrapen:extendingjfromthe frontend ofi the:brusheback mem berand; being 5 inclined downwardly ,.-and -forwaridly therefrom;whereby/whenv said handleiisswung forwardly about thezrscraper; Willi-project downwardlyr atran'inclination from; said front i-en'd ofthe: brushback member and: present a'scraping; edgefor scraping, and thez-material scrapedwill-moveiagainstlthe-stifirmember.

:6r-Thereombinationwof claim 4,: substantially the-front halfu-of the undersideuof. saidibrush backt member being free-:of brush elements; and said stitfmember-- engaging the rf'ront iofsaidabrush elementsi aboutha1fwayup from theinloiwer ends.

=iRe ferences Cit ed in -the file .of this, patent UNITED"'STATES PATENTS 

